Labeling mechanism.



PATENTED JULY 18, 1905.

D. F. BRBMNER, JR. LABELING MECHANISM.

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APPLIOATIOH FILED JAN. 15. 1903.

ANDIllI' In human) mmsmuaIM-mu Immnc No. 795,246. PATENTED JULY 18, 1905. D. F. BREMNER, JR- LABELING MECHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED JAN.15, 1903.

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PATENTED JULY l8 1905.

D. F. BREMNBR, J3. LABELING MECHANISM.

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No. 795,246- PATENTED JULY 18, 1905. D. P. BREMNER, J11. LABELING MECHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 15. 1903.

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PATBNTED JULY 18, 1905.

D. P. BREMNBR, Jn. LABELING MECHANISM.

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DAVID F. BREMNER, JR,

Patented July 18, 1905.

PATENT OFFICE.

OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

LABELING MECHANISM.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 795,246, dated July 18, 1905.

Original application filed April 25, 1900, Serial No. 1 1,245. Divided and this application filed January 15, 1903. Serial No. 139,245.

To (tll/ whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, DAVID F. BREMNER, Jr. a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Labeling Mechanism, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to mechanism for labeling packages, and has for its object to provide automatic mechanism whereby packages or other articles of regular form and size may have applied to them one or more labels,which labels will usually serve the additional function of securing the wrapping of the package against unfolding.

The ultimate object of the invention is to dispense with hand-labor in so far as possible and to substitute therefor automatic mechanical devices, by means of which labels may be applied to wrap packages as they are successively passed through the machine.

To these ends the invention consists in the matters hereinafter described, and more par ticularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view of a wrapping-machine used for wrapping and delivering the packages to the labeling-machine which constitutes the present invention. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the seal attaching or labeling mechanism. Fig. 3 is a transverse vertical sectional view of the same. Fig. 4c is a detail sectional view of one side of the same, taken in a vertical plane and looking in the opposite direction to that in which Fig. 3 is viewed. Fig. 5 is a sectional view taken on the line 17 17 of Fig. 4: and looking in the direction of the arrow. Fig. 6 is a detail sectional view taken on the line 18 18 of Fig. 1 and looking in the direction of the arrow. Fig. 7 is a vertical sectional view through the seal or label pasting and applying mechanism at one side of the machine. Fig. 8 is an enlarged plan view-of a portion of the paste-applying mechanism. Fig. 9 is a detail sectional view, on an enlarged scale, taken in a vertical plane through the pressing mechanism. Fig. 10 is a vertical sectional view taken longitudinally of one of the cam-shafts of the labeling mechanism. Fig. 11 is a detail elevationof one of the folding retaining devices. Fig. 12 is a plan section taken on the line 24 24 of Fig. 10, and Fig. 13 is an enlarged detail view of a portion of Fig. 12.

Referring briefly to Fig. 1, in which I have shown a vertical sectional view of a mechanism for wrapping and delivering the packages to the labeling mechanism which constitutes the subject-matter of the present invention, 1 designates as a whole a supportingframe provided with a chute 23, through which the packages are fed after having the wrappers folded around them by the wrapping mechanism, which is fully described in Patent No. 753,661, March 1, 1904:, of which this case is a division, and to which patent reference may be given for a more extended description of the wrapping mechanism, but which wrapping mechanism forms no part of the present invention. Said wrapping mechanism is operated by means of a main shaft 2, which is driven by power derived from any suitable source. The packages are thrust into the chute 23 by the plunger 15, said chute communicating at its lower end with a horizontal conduit 105, which is open at its rear and provided with a plunger 106, which is reciprocated horizontally therein across the lower end of the chute 23 and intermittently thrusts the bottom packages one at a time into the conduit 105, which in turn communicates with a partially-horizontal and partially-inclined conduit 111, through which the wrapped packages are thus fed step by step from the folding and wrapping mechanism to the sealing or labeling mechanism.

The folded ends of the wrappers are held in place by seals or labels pasted over said folded ends, and I have devised for the purpose of applying said seals or labels the mechanism shown in detail in Figs. 2 to 13, inclusive. of the drawings. This mechanism comprises a frame 112, upon which the various parts of the structure are supported, the

conduit 111 extending centrally across the top of said frame. The seal-applying mechanism is arranged in duplicate on opposite sides of said conduit, and I will describe the construction of only one of said mechanisms, it being understood that the same description is equally applicable to the other.

113 indicates a shaft which is mounted in suitable bearings on the frame 112 and is driven by power derived from any suitable source, but is preferably connected by gears and operated by the main shaft2 of the wrapping mechanism. Upon the shaft 113 there is loosely mounted a wheel or carrier 115, rotating intermittently in a vertical plane and adapted to take the labels from the magazine one by one, hold them while the paste is being applied to their exposed faces, and then press them against the end of the package to secure them in position. To this end the wheel 115 is provided at its periphery with a plurality of label-carrying plates 116. Each plate 116 is mounted on a slide 117, adapted to slide on the face of the wheel or carrier 115 and provided at its inner end with a flange or right-angled extension 118. This flange carries a guide-rod 119, which passes through an aperture in a lug 120, secured to the wheel 115, a spring 121. being mounted on said rod between said lug and flange. The carryingplates are normally held against the periphery of the wheel by the springs 121, but are adapted to be thrust radially outward at the proper time by means of a lever 122, one end of which is adapted to contact with the flange 118 of the slide which happens to be in the path of said lever when the wheel or carrier is stationary. The lever 122 is pivoted at 123 and is actuated by a cam 124 on said shaft. A spring 125, mounted on a guiderod 126. serves to hold the lever normally out of engagement with the slide and in the path of the cam 124.

An intermittent movement of rotation is imparted to the wheel or carrier 115 by means of the following mechanism: An eccentric 127, secured on the shaft 113, has its pitman 128 connected to one end of a lever 129, which is pivoted at 130 on a bracket or extension of the frame 112. This lever is bent upward, as indicated more particularly in Fig. 5, and there is connected to its other end a pawl-arm 131, which engages with a ratchetwheel 132, formed on the face of the wheel or carrier 115. In order to insure the arrest of the wheel as soon as the pawl has ceased to act, I employ friction-shoes 133, which press against the inner wall of the hub of the wheel or carrier, which is hollowed out to receive said friction-shoes and provide a bearing-surface for the same. These frictionshoes are carried by a sleeve 134, secured to one of the bearings of the shaft 113 and having a terminal flange annular in form and lying within the recess in the hub of the wheel or carrier 115. This annular flange carries lugs 136, in which are mounted the rods 137, which form the stems of the frictron-shoes, each of said rods being provided with a collar 138 and with a spring 139 coiled around said rod between said lug and collar.

In order to cause the labels to adhere temporarily to the carrying-plates 116, I wet or moisten these plates prior to the application of the labels, and for this purpose I provide a water trough or tank 140, which is carried by means of brackets 141, mounted to slide on rods 142, extending upward from the base of the machine and provided with supporting-springs 143. This tank is supplied with water in any suitable manner, and there is mounted therein at each end a wheel 144, provided with an absorbent periphery and held in the path of and against the carryingplates 11.6 by means of the springs 143. It will be seen that as each plate wipes over the wheel its surface will be moistened.

The labels are supplied to the wheel by means of the following mechanism: Immediately below the wheel is located a suitable magazine or hopper 146, in which the labels are piled one on top of another. This magazinc is mounted on a support 147, having an upwardly-extending arm 148 passing through suitable guides on the frame of the machine and pivotally connected at its upper end to one end of a lever 149, the other end of said lever lying in the path of a cam 150 upon the shaft 113. By reason of this construction the support 147 is vertically reciprocated and each upward movement brings the top of the magazine up to and past the carrying-plate 116 which is lowermost on the wheel or carrier 115. The uppermost label is thereby brought into contact with the wetted surface of said carrying-plate and caused to adhere thereto, the magazine descending again after the label has been applied to the plate. As the pile of labels in the magazine diminishes in height it is necessary to provide for the lifting of the pile, so that the uppermost label will always be in proper position to contact with the carrying-plate, and for this purpose I provide the magazine with a false bottom 151, having an extension 152, which passes through a vertical slot 153 in the side of the magazine. This extension is apcrturcd to fit upon two vertical guide-rods 154, upon which the extension slides, and is further apertured for the free passage of a vertical feed-screw 155, mounted in suitable hearings in the support 147 and in a cross-piece 156 on the upper ends of the guide-rods 154. The feed-screw 155 is provided at its upper end with a pin-wheel 157, actuatcal by means of pins 158, projecting from the lateral face of the wheel or carrier 115.

Below the extension 152 of the false bottom 151 there is mounted on the feed-screw 155 a nut 159, which is preferably constructed in the manner shown in detail in Figs. 12 and 13. The nut is made in two sections, hinged together by a pintle 160, while at the other end the sections are provided with lugs, to one of which is pivoted a bolt 161, which passes through the other and receives a thumb-nut 162. In the particular construction shown the nut is not connected with the extension, but is prevented from rotating by its frictional contact therewith and by reason of the contact of its projecting portions with the guide-rods 154.

It will be seen that as the wheel or carrier 115 rotates it will rotate the feed-screw 155, and thus cause a slow upward movement of the false bottom 151, therebymaintaining the top of the pile of labels in the magazine at the proper height therein. W'hen it is desired tofill the magazine, the false bottom may be rapidly lowered by releasing the split nut 159 from engagement with the thread of the feed-screw.

In order to apply paste to the exposed face of the label, I employ the mechanism shown more particularly in Figs. 4 to 9 of the drawings. In this construction 163 represents a paste-tank suitably supported from the frame of the machine and having mounted therein a paste-roller 164, running in the paste in the tank and having above it and in contact with it a tempering-roller 165, above which and in contact with it is a distributing-roller 166. These rollers are mounted in a U-shaped bracket or stirrup 167, forming a part of and depending from an auxiliary frame 168, mounted on the main frame 113, said stirrup or bracket also serving to aid in supporting the paste-trough 163. The rollers are driven by means of a belt 169, which passes around pulleys 170 on the shafts of the rollers, as indicated in Figs. 4 and 6, and the shaft of the roller 164 is extended and provided with a pulley 171, driven by a cross-belt 172 from a pulley 173 on the shaft 113. In conjunction with the paste-rollers I employ a paste-brush whereby the paste is transferred from the rollers to the paste-applying pad. This brush, which is indicated at 174, is carried by a holder 175, adapted to reciprocate in vertical ways 176,formed in a part of the auxiliary frame 168. Vertical movement is imparted to the brushholder and brush by means of levers 177, pivoted on arms 178, carried by the bearings of the shaft 113 and having their slotted outer ends engaged with the extended ends of the brush-holder, while their inner ends are arranged in the path of cams 179 on the shaft 113. Located above the paste-rollers and in the path of the brush 174 is the paste-applying pad 180. This pad is mounted on the forward end of a cross-head 181, adapted to reciprocate in suitable horizontal ways 182, formed in the auxiliaryframe 168, motion being imparted to said cross-head by means of a link 183, pivoted at one end to the cross-head and having at the other end a pin-and-slot connection with one end of a bell-crank lever 184,

the other end of said bell-crank lever being lever 129. By reason of this construction the pad while stationary is supplied with paste by means of the brush 174 and is then moved forward until it comes into contact with the label which lies in front of it on the adjacent carrying-plate 116 of the wheel or carrier 115. Paste having thus been applied to the exposed surface of the label, the pad recedes to its original position to receive another coating of paste.

In order to preventthe label from adhering to and being withdrawn along with the pad, I provide a plurality of dofiing pins or fingers 187. These pins extend through suitable apertures in the pad, being'longitudinally movable therethrough, and are mounted on a plate 188, which plate is in turn mounted on a second cross-head 189, adapted to reciprocate horizontally in suitable ways 190 in the frame 168. This cross-head is actuated in one direction by means of a lever 191, pivoted on an arm or extension 192 from the frame 112 and connected with a rod 193, provided with a roller 194, which is acted on by a cam 195 on the shaft 113. This mechanism operates to thrust the pins forward and hold them against the label as it lies on the carryingplate, and the parts are so timed that the label is thus held until after the paste-pad has been withdrawn, so that the label is prevented from adhering to the pad and being withdrawn along with the same. The dofiing-fingers are operated in the opposite direction by means of a link 196, pivotally connected to the crosshead 189 and to the lower end of a lever 197, pivoted to a bracket 198 on the frame 168.

The lever 197 is provided at its upper end with a hooked portion or shoulder 199 and passes through a slotted arm 200, which is secured to the lever 129. hen the lever moves forward and inward to actuate the wheel or carrier 115, the end of the slot in the arm 200 will engage the shoulder 199 of the lever 197 and will retract the cross-head 189 and withdraw the pins to the position shown in Figs. 7 and 8, in which position they do not project beyond the base of the pad, and consequently do not interfere with the application of paste thereto. The cross-head 181 is provided with upwardly-extending lugs 201, through which pass screws 202, which bear against the rear edge of the upper cross-head 189 and which form stops to limit the motion of said upper crosshead,and consequently of the doffing-pins, said stops being adjustable, so as to properly determine the relative position of the pins to the pad whenretracted.

In order to permit the application of the labels to the ends of the packages, the conduit 111 is cut away on each side at points directly opposite each other, as indicated at 203, and in order to prevent the folded ends of the wrapper from opening out when the connected by a link with a lug 186 on the packages come opposite these cut-away portions and before the labels have been applied thereto I provide a flap-retaining finger 204: at each side of the conduit, which serves to hold the lowermost flap in position, as indicated in Fig. 11, until the application of the label, it being understood that since the lowermost flap is the one last folded the other flaps are also held flat against the end of the package. The finger 20% passes through a guide or keeper 205 on the lower portion of the side wall of the conduit and is attached to or formed in one piece with one end of a lever 206,pivotally mounted on a support or bracket 207 on the conduit. To the other end of the lever 206 there is connected a link 208, which is also connected with one end of a lever 209, centrally pivoted on the frame of the machine and having its other end pivotally connected with a pitman 210, operated by an eccentric 211 on the shaft 113. By this means the flap-retaining finger is withdrawn during the application of the pasted label and advanced to hold the flap of the next package in proper position until the next label-applying operation.

I have found it desirable after the labels have been applied to the ends of the package to subject them to a second and final pressure after the paste has become somewhat set in order to insure their adhesion, and for this purpose I provide pressing devices on each side of the conduit 111, which is cut away on each side, as shown at 212, to give access to the packages. One of these pressing devices is shown in detail in Fig. 9 of the drawings and consists of a. platen 213, provided with a stem 214, passing through a guiding-bracket 215 and having its free end bearing against a cam 216 on the shaft 113. The stem is held against the cam by means of a spring 217, coiled around a rod 218, secured to the platen 213, said spring bearing against a collar 219 on said rod and against a standard 220, through which the rod passes. While each package remains stationary with its ends exposed through the openings 212, the cams 216 press the platens forward, so as to give a final pressure to the labels on the ends of the package, and thereby insure their proper adhesion.

From the foregoing description of the details of the labeling mechanism it will be understood that as the packages advance step by step and successively come opposite the openings 203 in the sides of the conduit the pasted labels are applied simultaneously to the two ends of the package and serve to permanently hold the folded ends of the wrapper in position. The labels are carried from the magazine in the manner described in detail by the wetted surfaces of the label-carrying plates and are supplied with paste on their exposed faces and at the same time prevented from adhering to the paste-pad. The pressing of the carrying-plates against the ends of the package serves to cause the labels to adhere more firmly to the package than to the plates, so that when. the plates are withdrawn the labels remain attached to the package. The final pressure by means of the platens 213 serves to insure the proper and firm adhesion of the labels, and the packages are finally discharged from the machine at the end of the conduit 111 in a finished condition, completely wrapped and labeled and ready for the market. In describing the construction and operation of this portion of my apparatus I have referred to the small sheets of paper which are pasted over the ends of the package as labels, for the reason that they may contain printed matter, either text or pictorial, and will thus serve as labels for the package. They have, however, a scaling function in their relation to the mechanical structure of the package, and I therefore wish it understood that I include in the term label as I have used it such a sheet of paper or other like material as will act as a seal, whether it bears any printed matter or not.

The apparatus as a whole serves to automatically wrapand fold the wrapper around the package and to apply the seals or labels to the ends of the package to complete the same, the work being done expeditiously and. with certainty and much more rapidly and at less expense than if done by hand-labor.

I have described one embodiment of my in vention; but the details of the structure constituting this embodiment may obviously be varied without departing from the principle of my invention, and I therefore do not wish to be understood as limiting myself to the precise details hereinbefore set forth, and shown in the accompanying drawings.

I ciaim 1. In a machine of the character described,

the combination, with a rotary carrier provided with label-carrying plates, of apaste-applying mechanism comprising paste-rollers, a pasteapplying pad adapted to be reciprocated to ward and from the carrier, and means for transferring the paste from the paste-rollers to said pad, substantially as described.

' 2. In a machine of the character described, the combination, with a rotating carrier having label-carrying plates, of'a paste-applying pad, means for reciprocating said pad toward and from the carrier, means for applying paste to said pad, and doffing-fingers also reciproeating toward and from the carrier and adapted to hold the label against its carrying-plate when the paste-applying pad is withdrawn, substantially as described.

3. In a machine of the character described, the combination, with a carrier provided with label-carrying plates, of a paste-applying pad reciprocating toward and from said carrier and provided with apertures, and dotting-fingers also reciprocating toward and from the carrier and adapted to be projected through the apertures in the pad to hold the label on its carrying-plate during the withdrawal of the pad and to be subsequently withdrawn back of the working face of the pad, substantially as described.

l. In a machine of the character described, the combination, with a rotary carrier provided with label-carrying plates, of a pasting mechanism comprising a paste revervoir, paste-rollers, a paste-applying pad reciprocating toward and from the carrier, a-pastebrush, and means for moving said paste-brush between the paste-rollers and paste-pad, substantially as described.

5. In a machine of the character described, a tube-like conduit having its lateral walls cut away at opposite points in combination with means for applying adhesive seals or labels to the folded ends of the packages through said laterally-cutaway portions, means for feeding said packages along said conduit, flap-retaining fingers associated with said cut-away portions a second pair of laterally opposite cut-away portions through which the sealed ends of the packages are exposed at points remote from the points at which the seals are applied, and means working through said second cut-away portion for pressing the sealed ends of the packages, substantially as described.

6. In a machine of the character described, the combination with a substantially horizontal conduit having its lateral walls cut away at opposite points at two separated portions of its length, of flap-retaining fingers anda label-applying mechanism located at the first cut-away portions, and reciprocating platens located opposite the second cut-away portions and adapted to give a final pressure to the labels on the ends of the packages, substantially as described.

7. In a label-applying machine, the combination with a label supporting plate, and means for causing a label to adhere lightly thereto, of a paste-pad, means for forcing said paste-pad into surface contact with the outer surface of the label resting upon the supporting-plate, and means for doffing the label from the paste-pad, comprising a plurality of fingers arranged to extend through the pastepad, and means for holding said fingers stationary and in bearing with the label while the paste-pad is withdrawn from the latter, substantially as described.

8. Ina wrapping-machine, the combination with a conduit through which the Wrapped packages are adapted to be passed, provided with a lateral opening through which the folded end of the package is exposed to receive a seal and means for holding the folds of the package against unfolding while exposed through said opening, consisting of a reciprocatory finger operated to move in a plane parallel with the end of the package and arranged to engage the outermost one of the end folds while the seal is applied, substantially as described.

DAVID E. BREMNER, JR.

WVitnesses:

ALBERT H. GRAVES, L. F. MGOREA. 

